There are many great and divine ones who tread this earth unknown and unrecognized by the mortals they contact. These great and noble ones, from the realms of light, remain in contact with the earth that they might help all who are prepared to receive help. Their mission is of selfless service to a world so that darkness might be dispelled and the great, full Light of God shine into the hearts of men.
There is no individual on this earth who has not been contacted by one or more of these holy ones, who have come to them, appearing as ordinary mortals, hoping to find some response in that contact by which greater light might be given.
More and more these divine ones are seeking to serve, for there is not too much time remaining in which the earth must get into line with the great purposes of God. And "by the earth" is meant all humanity.
Many of the more spiritually advanced are able to recognize these great helpers. And by their own enlightened progress they are able to receive constant help from the higher realms of Light.
No one who sincerely calls is left without an answer. But many are completely unprepared to recognize the answer. Because of blindness of mind, bigotry, selfishness or pride it is often impossible to recognize the great help that is always at hand. One has to be attuned to the higher vibrations of unselfish love in order to comprehend the great and unspeakable power continually offered for every need. This power is available to all, from the greatest to the least. One has but to accept it.
The scriptures tell us that Christ died for our sins. He truly died because of our sins. And the Light of Christ within each of us is crucified afresh by our sins even to this day. As long as that Light is not permitted to come forth and become active in our lives, to that extent HE lies dead within us because of our sins. And to that extent we are unable to enter into the great Church of the Firstborn and become living members in the divine Brotherhood of Light. This membership is reserved for those who have been tested and tried in all things and have proved that they will serve HIM at all hazards instead of their own selfish aims, proud lusts and empty vanities in order to surpass in glory and exaltation all others along the road.
The first requisite in this holy Assembly is the complete putting aside of the self with its jealousies and unholy pride and lusts.
It is unimportant whether we, individually, receive a great reward or not. He who works for reward is working for a menial's pay. He who serves to surpass all others is placing leaden weights upon his own feet and barring his own way. He is traveling the way of self and it is a "dead end" road -- a road that ends in self.
He who serves only for love, without thought of reward, becomes the greatest, for he has placed himself as the least and the servant of all, not through a desire for reward or for glory or for honor, but unselfishly to help lift mankind to greater heights. Such a one would gladly sacrifice himself, and all thought of reward just for the humble privilege of helping his fellow men ascend into the light. Such a one is a literal son of God.
Know this, oh, man, there are those who have not earned any place whatsoever in the great realms of eternity. There are those who are but servants and these are those who are working entirely for rewards and hopes of glory. They are but menials and their reward is a servant's pay. Then there are those who are members of the Father's household. These work not for reward, but for love. They think not of glory nor of self but only in loving devotion sacrifice themselves for the uplift of all. Of this divine group is composed the great Assembly of Light -- the divine ones, sons of God, whether in mortality or out of it. He who glorifies in any position or office is receiving his reward in his own satisfaction and gratified pride. He is a menial, a common servant, not a son, not a member of the divine household.
The bickerings of churches over which is nearest to God -- or which is God's most Holy Church is as empty and vain as the argument of the apostles of old over who would sit on His right and who on His left. Churches have very little meaning except to keep alive a knowledge of God on the earth. It is true that some churches have more truth than others. But no church has ALL TRUTH. If there was such a church it would have ALL POWER and every member would be able to do the works Christ promised to those who believe.
Some churches are only fanatical works of darkness.
Every church that is not leading its members into those greater powers, promised by the Son of God, is but blocking the road of progress. Such churches permit none to attain to a point beyond the organized mass of their orthodoxed conformity. Such churches have so completely sealed the doors of progress to their members that they are but instruments of damnation. Some have placed deadly seals upon the minds of men, permitting none to approach God except through themselves, who are but blocking the way of light. They deny the power of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost even while claiming that they alone possess the authority to bestow such a divine gift. Such claim loudly that they alone on the earth possess the authority to bestow the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands, and at the same time deny that those on whom they bestow such divine power have any ability to use the gift and the powers it contains. They deny that this great and Holy Gift of the Spirit can lead anyone into ALL truth, for only they, themselves can do that. If any humble individuals reach out to God for answers, and receive them, such answers are disclaimed and pronounced evil. Thus they deny the power of God to answer the prayers of the humble and contrite and deny the power of the Holy Ghost to fulfill its purpose. Those who place such seals on the way of progress permitting none to reach out beyond the stymied, orthodoxed leaders who live only on the traditions of the fathers and not according to the power of God will shortly be called into judgment.
As the great house of God is put in order the cluttered useless teachings shall be replaced by the great living principles of active power and light. And no man will need to be taught henceforth by his neighbor, brother, priest, bishop or minister, but all will be taught of God.* It will be the great living power of God active in every individual. His Spirit shall be poured out upon all flesh and there will be none left who can claim any monopoly upon it or retard this great power. Those who cannot humble themselves before such divine and Almighty power will be removed from their places, for a knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth even as the waters cover the sea. And those who have tried to substitute their own wisdom and personalities to take the place of this power in the lives of men will be humbled or destroyed.
Nevertheless, judgment is an individual thing. It is based upon each individual's will to serve and how well he has lived up to the principles of righteousness that issue out of his own heart. His place is selected according to his capacity to give out love, not on any office held on earth or any coveted position occupied in pride and splendor. Service only is accepted which is offered in purest love and deepest humility, without thought of reward. It is this great, selfless service of divine love one must give if he wishes to attain to the membership in the great Assembly of the Firstborn.
"Your sins have separated you from me," proclaimed the great Isaiah in giving forth the words of the living God. Our sins are still separating us from Him. He has not walled or shut us out. We have shut ourselves out. Through our lusts and pride and jealousies and secret covetings and selfishness we have separated ourselves from Him and his divine power of perfect fulfillment.
Membership in the great Assembly or Church of the Firstborn is based entirely upon complete unselfishness and perfect love. These are the requisites necessary to be numbered among the great and holy ones who offered themselves as a ransom to help lift the world. This is the love Christ spoke of -- the love which a man is willing to give, even his life, that his brother might be spared. It is the love that is willing to forego all rewards to exalt another. It is the great love that makes a man willing, if required, to sacrifice even his own soul to glorify the whole. This is the pure, divine, Christlike love. This is the love Christ meant. This love is of the soul and is gloriously divine. This is the love that has all the power of fulfillment. This is the love which, when developed, makes one a true member of the great Assembly, a literal son of God, for he is then born of God, not in mere symbolism, but in actuality. Baptism in water is but the shadow of the symbol.
That great and noble son of God who attained with glory a membership in the Great Church, the writer of the Odes of Solomon, which are so beautifully recorded in the New Testament Apocrypha, explained it so perfectly in his 26th Ode, as follows:
"Who is able to interpret the wonders of the Lord?
"For he who could interpret would be dissolved and would become that which is interpreted."
If one perfects love he will become that love. If he perfects humbleness and gratitude he will become the Great attitude of love and power.
Each year Annalee and Reason Skarin, at Christmas time, offered a Birthday gift to the Son of God. One year it was Love, another, the singing song of ecstasy from deep within their souls -- a song of joyous devotion that dispelled and destroyed darkness. One year it was the gift of gratitude and thanks which released continual praise from within their hearts.
After each gift was offered they sought with all their power to perfect it -- Love, Joy and Gratitude and thus each gift became a living gift -- a gift of everlasting value. And the gifts held the power to fulfill the offering.
It is everyone's privilege to fulfill and become the gift he offers or the whole thing he interprets. "Interpret the wonders of the Lord and be dissolved and become that which you interpret." Such is the power within each and every individual on this earth to glorify his soul and to become a member in the Great Brotherhood of Light.
*(I John 2:27; John 6:45 and Jer.)